If you want to watch the antics of a dysfunctional family, you can go visit certain of your relatives. You know the ones I mean. Or, if you wish to heighten the experience, you can go to the Geffen Playhouse and watch four actors scream at each other for two hours. The play is “Big Sky,” but it has nothing to do with Montana. Instead,... Read more →

"Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping" is a sendup of the pop, rock and rap music scenes and the marketing hype that sustains those who can master the branding of their bands, regardless of their level of artistic talent. Andy Samberg (”Brooklyn Nine-Nine”) is hilarious as a white rapper notorious for his ad for “White Butt Jeans”... Read more →

Editor’s note: With the opening of the Expo Line’s extension to Santa Monica, locals have a new way to explore neighboring areas. The Daily Press will publish a weekly travelogue about what to eat, see and do near each of the stations along the Expo Line, continuing this week at the third non-Santa Monica stop: Westwood/Rancho... Read more →

By Jeong Park Daily Press Intern Learning new skills takes effort and guidance. The Santa Monica Public Library seeks to offer guidance for those who are willing to provide effort. Branches of Santa Monica Public Library will host a second annual “How-To Festival” from June 25 to July 30. The festival consists of 40 mini-workshops... Read more →

The UCLA Hammer Museum in Westwood is holding its third biennial “Made in LA” exhibition, titled “a, the, though, only,” showcasing 26 emerging and under-recognized but exceedingly worthy contemporary artists working throughout the greater L.A. area. Culled from a field of more than 180 artists — far fewer than those included in... Read more →

Tennessee Williams apparently had a thing for nightingales. In 1938 he wrote a play about a true incident in Philadelphia wherein prisoners who had gone on a hunger strike were confined in a steamy cage until many of them died. This grim play was called “Not About Nightingales.” A decade later he wrote a beautiful, sensitive story about... Read more →

By Kathryn Whitney Boole "The Fits" is a refreshingly honest movie — a poetic short story about a tween girl going through the emotional roller coaster of adolescence. It's not polished or elaborate, yet it's a beautiful film, an ode to the struggles, twists of fate, disappointments and exhilarations of growing up. The movie is very... Read more →

Editor’s note: With the opening of the Expo Line’s extension to Santa Monica, locals have a new way to explore neighboring areas. The Daily Press will publish a weekly travelogue about what to eat, see and do near each of the stations along the Expo Line, continuing this week at the second non-Santa Monica stop: Expo/Sepulveda. I have... Read more →

Music is breaking out all over. The beautiful documentary “The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble” is on-screen at Landmark Theatres in West L.A. and at several Laemmle Theatres locations starting tomorrow. The Los Angeles Doctors Symphony Orchestra features master cellist Armen Ksajikian in concert this Saturday... Read more →

Since the time of Shakespeare, British playwrights have been considered among the best in the English-speaking world. In more recent times — the first half of the 20th century, especially — British actors, with their classical training and impeccable diction, have set the standard for actors everywhere. Now, however, the best of the... Read more →

By Kathryn Whitney Boole “Money Monster” is only Jodie Foster's fourth film as a director, although she's been in the entertainment business for 50 years. She's very selective about the projects she takes on and with this film she masters the craft. On the surface the movie seems to be a “captor versus victim” thriller.... Read more →

Editor’s note: With the opening of the Expo Line's extension to Santa Monica, locals have a new way to explore neighboring areas. The Daily Press will publish a weekly travelogue about what to eat, see and do near each of the stations along the Expo Line, starting this week at the first non-Santa Monica stop: Expo/Bundy. From the... Read more →

A recent press release from The Broad Stage caught my eye: local theater company Santa Monica Rep will occupy the Broad Stage's smaller black box theater, the Edye, for a series of four staged play readings that reflect the national conversation. Given the somewhat humbler venues where I've seen their work before, that sounded like good... Read more →

Perhaps I should recuse myself from reviewing “John Is A Father” because its star, Sam Anderson, is one of my favorite actors. In addition, he is one helluva nice guy. So it's especially magical to see him turn himself into a taciturn, fearful, ex-alcoholic loner onstage. The play was written by Julie Marie Myatt with a minimum of... Read more →

Something powerful drew Lova Hyatt to the world of teaching. And something even stronger kept her there for 40 years. As she prepares to retire from the Santa Monica-Malibu school district at the end of the school year, Hyatt hardly sounds surprised that she’s been around for four decades. “To me, a professional teacher is more of a... Read more →